Mrs Codd

"That's okay. Come to dinner anyway and enjoy the adult conversation. I'll arrange it so you can just slip away unnoticed."

And that's what happened. Marsha had catering contractors in and they served a wonderful meal and much later when people began to yawn Marsha announced Glade was off-color and called a cab and it was over so smoothly.

* * *

Marsha and Glade had finished lunch when the president intercepted them moving to the lounge for coffee.

"Mrs Codd, may I have a word?"

"Yes of course Mr Jacobs. We'll get our coffee and come right along to your office."

"We?"

"Oh yes Mr Jacobs. Mrs Collins is my campaign manager. I take it this is business?"

"Am I?" Marsha said in surprise."

"Um, Mrs Collins you are most welcome to accompany Mrs Codd."

Mr Jacobs said, "You ladies might not be aware that I require at least two more terms as president to achieve the objectives I set out for my tenure when first elected two years ago."

"Would you like me to withdraw my nomination Mr Jacobs?"

"Well, since you ask I must say you are far too young to become president of an esteem club like this and are not generally known to members. But having to fight an election rather than standing unopposed again could take a chip or two out of my solid image."

"Well, you know the terms for my withdrawal Mr Jacobs or at least you can guess what they are."

"You want the plans and want a woman architect?"

"Allow me to modify that to something perhaps more acceptable to you Mr Jacobs. You hand over the plans and specifications, I engage a female architect of my choice, you push the project through on my behalf on the understanding I pay all costs and we appoint the club's architects to supervise construction to their satisfaction."

"I... er... well I believe that meets my objection."

Five minutes later Glade scribbled a note saying she'd withdrawn her nomination.

Glade took Marsha to the bar and purchased two brandy cocktails.

"Darling, you are the most exciting friend I have. I have a degree in romance languages and you didn't make college and I'm nine years older than you and yet you leave me for dead. I have trouble keeping up with your mental agility."

"I don't know what it is Marsha but I just seem to have it. Men in particular seem to find me intellectually troublesome."

Glade approached Marcia Rowlands, the senior partner at a small practice of three architects, two of whom were women. Marcia, a club member who knew Glade by sight, was in her late thirties and was aware of the problem of the octagon room as her mother and mother-in-law were members of the club and had complained about the inhospitable nature of the room.

"I'd like the roof to become an opaque geodesic dome sitting on a square plinth, I think you'd call it, and the sides of that plinth splayed out and glazed in multicolored stained glass to produce interesting lighting effects below."

"Oooh, I see you have the plans and specifications but I know the room. What you are asking for would be an architectural disaster I'm afraid Mrs Codd."

"Please call me Glade. Is it because the span is two wide?"

"You have it Glade. Also there would be weatherproofing problems and heat dispersal problems in our climate and problems in even distribution of light. I will admit that non-technically it was an imaginative concept."

"Thank you Marcia. Let me explain why I'm on this mission. I wish to do something for the older women of the club. Club management is diverting all available funds to replacing the pool and..."

"I'm familiar with concrete technology. There is no need to completely demolish the current pool. It is feasible to lengthen it and widen it, saving huge costs. The club has a builder and road engineer who are pushing that project and have not sought the opinions of in-ground tank construction experts."

"But this is a swimming pool?"

A swimming pool is just a sexy tank darling -- oh, pardon me for familiarity.

"No that's fine; I find it very friendly. But let's leave this pool aside for the time being. It's something else I'll have to get my teeth into. So what do you suggest with roof lighting into the Octagon Room?"

"We could do it with a series of solar dome lights, each just over twenty inches across, or we could design perhaps four rows of clerestory across the roof facing north, away from the sun. They tend to look ugly but allow me to sketch the ugly look and then if we add a bit of flair but a whole lot most cost we come up with a scallop look."

"Oooh, I see the difference. Scallops please."

"They could be as much as three times more to construct."

"It doesn't matter. A great many buildings overlook our main building with parking beneath and our club needs to show class Marcia."

"I agree. I admire your style Glade."

"Well would four banks of scallops give the daylight that would draw older women back into the finest room in our club?"

"Yes, subject to lighting calculations. Those ugly clerestory panes are more efficient at admitting light than the scallop shapes but we can increase the height of the scallops to get the level of lighting to optimum. That trade-off means greater expense. A lighting expert will advise us on that and how the transmitted light is reflected and dispersed inside the building. Fortunately we have virtually unrestricted height to design for that."

"It sounds complicated."

"It is. Leave it with me Glade. I will need to open an account for you."

"Now, about the pool," Glade said. "At the annual meeting next month I'll propose a funding scheme to get this project done and out of the way so that sufficient club funds go back again to the maintenance and renewal program to avoid us becoming Scruffy Club."

"Marcia laughed. "I know the dimensions of the present pool and have a newsletter giving the dimensions of the replacement pool. My brother Simon designs concrete water supply tanks for high-rise buildings and also below-basement water storage tanks. I'll ask him to give approximate estimates for the demolition and removal of the present pool and the construction of the replacement and also the extension of the present pool including spelling out the extra costs in fusion with the old with the new to avoid leakages. His estimates would include earthquake-proofing design costs."

"Great, I'd like to meet him."

"I would like that to happen too, and not to just share an interest in concrete design, if you get my meaning. He's my younger brother."

* * *

Simon proved to be a no-no. He was dour, perhaps without humor, and didn't appear to look at Glade's body at all. She was rather put out. Simon then told her he'd brief one of his assistants who could jump into the appraisal immediately whereas he had another project requiring urgency.

"It's a damn above a small community requiring strengthening following discovery of cracking. I think I would be more than criticized if the damn leaked excessively, or worse, while I was diverted by a gentleman's club swimming pool extensions."

"Our club has female members as well, including your sister," Glade sniffed.

"Once we have the information the design will be generated tested and then check-out by me before it goes to you the client," he said earnestly.

"Very well, bring on McSpudden."

"McFadden actually."

"Oh sorry."

"Harry, this is Mrs Codd."

Glade almost dropped her panties on the spot. The redhead eyed her body the way in which it was designed for. Harry's green eyes flicked over her blue ones and she caught the half-wink and her palms perspired. He was gorgeous. Tall, long hair that appeared to be a stranger to a comb, opened-necked shirt when everyone else in the building appeared to be strangled by ties and wore misshapen suits of conservative tailoring. Oh yes, Mr Harold McFadden could work on her design.

"Lunch Mrs Codd?"

"Yes thank you Mr McFadden."

"I'll fetch my sketch pad and a job sheet."

"Lunch -- but it's only 11:00," Simon frowned. He was ignored.

It was a two-hour lunch and once Harry had recorded design detail he was into Mrs Codd about what made her tick. Glade couldn't remember a guy on a first date, or even after several dates and two husbands as well, ever asking what was her preference against her skin -- cotton, synthetic or silk.

She said silk and the eyes of engineer McFadden gleamed.

He went back to work and she wandered around in a daze. Even so she brought a range of tantalizing camisoles, bras and panties in silk for Harry McFadden to slobber on if he had the courage to date her.

Harry hadn't called her within the hour so Glade gave up on him. She'd fallen asleep in front of TV when he called at 3:20.

"Hi it's Harry. What are you doing?"

"Oiling my legs."

The phone connection was bad because there was a gurgling noise on the line but it cleared quickly.

"I need the test drilling report on the pool site."

"Why?"

"Because a pool 165ft long by 65ft wide by 6.5ft deep contains about 2800 tons of water."

"I guess that's significant?"

"Yes."

"I'll get that information. I need to talk to the builder who's driving the project."

"What kind of builder."

"Campbell Brown's company builds apartment blocks."

"Oh Christ."

"Not good?"

"If will be okay if you can keep him and me separated."

"I'll do my best. I guess if it gets tough I can use my body."

The gurgling interference was back on the line.

"What are you eating?"

Glade thought of saying peeled grapes but said, "Nothing".

"You women and your dieting. Want to come around at 7:00 for lightly poached salmon?"

God, Harry was proposing fish followed by sex. "Where is around?"

"The apartment I share with my mother."

"That sounds safe."

The gurgling noise was back again.

Harry gave Glade the address and suggested she wear easy divested clothes.

"What, on our first date?"

"This is a meal at home, not a date per se."

"Oh the apartment is on the shoreline?"

"What? No. We have a lap pool on our extensive deck. Oh bring your swimsuit if you feel that's necessary."

"Is it?"

"No, mom will be glued to her favorite soaps on TV."

"May I keep my panties on?"

"You can wear rainproof gear in the pool for all I care. I'll be wearing Bermuda pants."

"Oh thank you. That is most helpful."

"In what way."

"It tells me what I should wear."

"You women are amazing; you minds are far more complex than combinatroics."

"Is that complimentary?"

"Yes."

"Oooh."

The apartment was huge and austere, the kind that Glade didn't like because it was untouched by human hand. No way could professional style designers be called human and they dealt in abstract theory and occupants were best kept in sterile environments although color was permissible in a flashy sort of manner. She would prefer a cabin to this $10,000,000 monstrosity. Mommy must be loaded.

Glade, wearing five-inch heels, mottled pink Capri pants and a ribbed striped halter-top and no jewelry at all but latest designer shades propped on to her blonde hair that was pinned up because it was after 6:00, pushed the doorbell.

Harry opened the door, gurgled, and said "Jesus."

Oh no, she thought, she was over-dressed -- perhaps it should have been jeans and a top. But he was barefoot and in baggy white shorts and a gray long-sleeved two-button collarless ribbed shirt. Then she saw his mother dressed in a long black evening dress and jewelry galore. Oh god, what a mess.

"What's wrong?" she asked in panic.

He grinned, showing amazing teeth that made her knees almost buckle -- well she was eyeing his wide chest as well. "My impression was you were very attractive but now I see you are sensationally amazing."

"Sensationally amazing? No one looks that good."

"Oh yeah?"

"Well I accept your overly bloated comment as being well-intentioned and thank you for it."

"Um, can you translate?"

"You comment and looks make me go weak at the knees."

"Ah, a structural description -- that I can understand," he teased.

As he pulled Glade inside she asked indignantly, "Aren't you going to kiss me?"

Harry glanced at his mother and rubbed his jaw. "What kind of kiss."

"A welcoming kiss, with added kick to indicate you desire me?"

At least he didn't procrastinate. He moved in smoothly, cupping the base of her ears with his hands and kissed her lips lightly and then kissed each eyebrow.

Glade's entire body almost liquidized on to the tiled floor.

"Holy fuck!"

The mother croaked out something that sounded like shame.

"I said that mother," Harry reacted gallantly.

"What a disgusting thing to say and to say that in front of women is even worse."

"It was my fault Mrs McFadden. I encourage your son to be playful and I wasn't offended at all. I have urged Harry to talk to me in simplified English and he's yet to adjust appropriately. Actually that was an improvement on the gutter level he used earlier today. I'm fearful about hearing him describe my breasts and my..."

"Mrs Codd!"

Harry took control. "Mother, allow me to introduce my new client Mrs Codd who you should address as Glade. Glade this is my mother Mrs Enya McFadden.

"How do you do Mrs McFadden? I am so pleased to meet you. I anticipated your well-mannered son would have a fine mother behind him."

Glade dug into her handbag. "These after-dinner chocolate are for you ma'am."

"Oh, how lovely. None of Harry's other women come bearing gifts. All they want is for me to leave my home."

Harry stood like a statue with its mouth open.

"Well boys will be boys and girls will be girls Mrs McFadden. I expect to behave in your home as you'd expect me to behave. Harry and I can go anywhere for sex."

Now Mrs McFadden stood frozen, mouth open.

"Oh come on Mrs McFadden. A modern woman like you surely cannot be shocked by frank talk from someone like me? My understanding that the Scots are a pragmatic race and call a spade a spade.

"Ah, a caibe lass. It takes a lot to shock me. The way you express so openly just took me by surprise."

Harry began breathing again.

"Glade, now that's a name I've not heard before."

"My mother is a romantic and found it from somewhere but she can't recall where. It is Old English and extremely rare. It means shining."

"Well it is indeed a sweet name. Well off you two go for a swim. Harry wants that and I daresay it's so he can see your body. Use the guest bathroom dear -- it opens on to the deck."

Glade was in the pool when Harry arrived with champagne in unbreakable flutes.

He grinned. "You have taken mother by storm. She says she's never met anyone quite like you."

"Is that good or bad?"

"She finds you stimulating so therefore it's good. Um, you are in a one-piece swimsuit. I thought you suggested appearing only in panties?"

Glade pulled her top down under her breasts.

"Oh, very nice. Lovely tits."

"Now show me your dick,"

Harry's face and chest turned pink, almost hiding his dense freckles.

"I-I...do you really mean that?"

"No Harry, I'm just teasing. If I really wanted to see your dick I'd prefer it to be inflated. Why is this pool so shallow?"

"To reduce weight-loading."

"I thought as much?"

Harry said, "You did?"

"Yes Harry. You didn't have me tagged as a bimbo did you?"

CHAPTER 2

Three weeks after being fucked every day Glade eased away from Harry. He probably was gratified, as she was slowly killing him. He was losing weight and his drive. She was just too much for him, leaving him legless and completely drained of cum and being unable to get it up again. The problem was Harry turned out to be basically a one-shot guy over a 12-hour period.

But the work was done. The computer models showed costs savings of up to 40% could be made with a two-way extension of the present pool. Harry had tests done to the present structure and the quality of concrete and steel of the 11-year old pool rated very well indeed. When three days went by without Glade and he having had sexual connection he called and mentioned that. "Are we through?"

"Yes Harry. I tend to have brief affairs. It was lovely being fucked by you. I know your mother thinks I'm too common for you, although not expressing that in words."

"She would have been all over you had she known you were wealthy/"

"Ah yes, but I don't talk about my money to anyone Harry. And thank you for not telling her. The thought of one's money tends to screw up some people. The pool project committee is interested in your findings and has proven to be cooperative and is expecting me to present your analysis at the annual meeting. May I suggest I nominate you for club membership -- I'll get the application pushed through and as a personal gift may I pay your subscription for five years?"

"But you have already paid for my work?"

"I said as a personal gift. You'll enjoy the club and will probably become the club's honorary engineer; the present one Mr Matthews is very doddery. It's only money Harry and as a member you'll be able to present your report for me and answer questions and give assurances where you can."

"Very well, that's a magnificent gesture Glade. Thank you."

Marsha invited Glade to accompany here to a Nevada desert retreat for a week and they had a lovely time. On the third day at pre-lunch drinks a father and son from Louisiana came over with their beers and began talking to them and after lunch they paired off.

Glade had what the son wanted and he had what Glade wanted in a big way, finally sending her off to sleep in his arms. They went horse riding as a foursome and played tennis and have nine holes of hilarious golf and they danced away beyond midnight. The next night, at Marsha's suggestion, they went to Alec and Jon Fagen's spa suite for a spa and had sex and changed partners and spent most of the next day sleeping, fucking and eating. The Fagen's left the next morning and the two women arranged to shift into that suite and carried on as before, without the men.

"I feel I have REALLY gotten to know you on this vacation," Marsha said when they were having their first drink on the airplane returning to LA.

"If it hadn't been for this lovely week away I'd never known I still could be taught things about sex," Glade giggled and received such a sweet kiss from Marsha.

* * *

At the annual meeting after presentation of reports and other formalities, the re-elected president Mr Liam Jacobs announced 'substantial and significant improvements' would begin almost immediately to allow the Octagonal room to be lit by natural lighting. The governing committee wished to acknowledge the support of club member Mrs Codd for initiating that work and to make known that Mrs Codd would personally meet the total cost of that improvement."

"Mrs Codd says she is delighted to underwrite the cost of this work and then with the room naturally lit to a high standard that female members who had found the room claustrophobic will be encouraged to use that room that she says is the loveliest room in the entire club and we would agree with that assessment."

Almost 250 members were at the meeting with drinks and a supper to follow. Bert Chives rose and ask, "May I ask how much is the cost of this upgrading?"

Mr Jacobs: "Mrs Codd?"

Mrs Codd: "I rather not say."

Old Mr Chives: "I feel members are entitled to know the extent of your generosity."

Mrs Smith, convener of the ladies committee: "So do I Mr President."

Mr Jacobs: "It is entirely up to you Mrs Codd. You did request privacy."

Mrs Codd: "Very well. Approximately $180,000."

The meeting applauded her.

Mr Jacobs then stated club member and architect Mrs Marcia Rowlands had done the design work without charge. "Please stand Marcia."

She stood and was applauded.

When Campbell Brown, convener of the pool project committee, was asked to report progress he invited Mrs Codd to speak.